#NeverForget

17 years ago today I was working in a travel agency in York, PA and I was eight months pregnant with my oldest son, Harrison. At 8:53, a co-worker's husband called to tell us that something had happened in NYC. We turned on the TV and watched, in mind-numbing shock, as the tragic events unfolded. The second plane, the Pentagon, flight UA 93, the dreadful collapse: it was all a blur amidst frantic phone calls as customers called to cancel all future flight plans. I couldn't talk to Andy because he was working at a cabinet shop that happened to be owned by an Amish family who really didn't care about what was happening. They were nice people, but the outside world meant nothing to them. 
I talked with my mom and many friends on AOL Instant Messenger all morning. I answered their questions.  Yes, I lived in PA, but I was located two hours east of Somerset County where the plane had crashed. There was so much confusion and panic, not only in the U.S., but also in my heart. What kind of world was this baby coming in to? 
They closed the travel agency early that day. I went home and waited for Andy to get off work, at normal time, I might add. I relived it again as he watched the news and gained a full perspective of the horrific events that had taken place. 
This day, I will #NeverForget. 
Recently, I visited the 9/11 Memorial in NYC. Silence and quiet contemplation permeate the area where the twin towers once stood. It is a beautiful and sacred place. Visitors stare into the water that appears to fall into eternity. Words are kept to a low voice or a whisper.

Hard Things

Sometimes we have to do hard things. 

Ewan had a very deep cavity that was filled in May. Yesterday, he told me his tooth had been bothering him. I looked at it and it looked like his gum above the tooth was growing a rhinoceros horn. Houston, we have an abscess. 

Here we are today at the oral surgeon's office. He needs to have the tooth pulled. (The choice was a root canal or have it pulled. He's nine and it's a baby tooth. Decision made.)

Having had to hunt for him throughout the house and having to physically put him in the car gave me the clue that he was extremely nervous. We had a long talk on the drive here about how it's normal to be scared in situations like these. We CAN do hard things! 

J.M. Barrie understood the concept of rising above difficult circumstances when he wrote Peter Pan. In order to fly, they had to have faith, trust, pixie dust, and to think 'happy thoughts'. When we have faith and trust that God will take over, we can use those positive thoughts to put ourselves in a place in order to rise above and overcome whatever we are going through. 

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Ewan is my brave, strong boy. He is my 'noble youth'. He CAN do hard things. 

JUST DO IT

The older I get, the more I learn that I CAN do hard things.  We are so much stronger than we think we are.  Our bodies are capable of doing more than we allow them, we just need to take care of them by eating clean, exercising, and by getting enough rest.  (Sometimes the rest part is much easier said than done because there are so many hours in the day and always so much to do.)
We just need to get that message into our head that we can do it, and then just do it.

CMB

Abric was late for school today, and I wrote "crazy morning breakdowns" under the reason in the excuse card that I had to fill out when I dropped him off this morning. Is that really a valid excuse? It might not be, but today was one of those mornings that I know I will laugh about in future years. So, for now, I'll let the school figure out where to file that excuse. And I will go about my day, continuing to make it better and better, bar any breakdowns from a certain two year old who is on the cusp of potty training.

Photo courtesy of said two-year old.

Shoeless Sunday

Note to self: taking the boys' iPods away may have far-reaching effects. 

We've occasionally had our own screen-free days or weeks at our house. Each time, I have noticed that the boys have gone through a strange form of detox. It is like their brains are not sure how to handle the wind-down from the over activity and stimulation caused by tv, iPods, and computers. Out of necessity, they get very creative. But this creativity expresses itself in odd ways: like building strange forts, and then getting sticks and bearing card board boxes into oblivion.

This morning, Andy had early morning meetings at church, so I was on my own. I am used to it, but this electronic detox almost out me over the edge. 

I told them to start getting dressed, and they decide to start rehearsing their own composition on the recorder. 

Harrison barricaded Ewan in his closet with the large toy drawers for underneath his bed. (No small feat. Those drawers are heavy.) I had a minor freak out on the boys that may or may not have involved some really loud yelling. I walked into my room to hear Isla singing in the shower, "Let it go! Let it go......Let it go, Mom."

So I did.

I focused on getting myself dressed and ready. I got Isla dressed, and I have gotten really good at French braiding hair while she walks around the room. I sent her down to get her shoes, called out to the boys to get their shoes and meet me in the car.

At this point, Harrison and Ewan decide to continue their duel from the closet and fight over the captain's chair in the van. Harrison wins the battle by sitting on Ewan's head. Ewan retaliates by running in the house and undressing himself down to his underwear. That will get him! 

Jamie, just let it go and promise him the front seat if he can get dressed again in two minutes. 

Success!

Arrive at church at find out that 2 out of 5 of your children are barefoot.

Let it go.

Just Another Drill

Me:  Abric, remember you have a half day tomorrow at school.

Abric:  I know, Mom.  It's only a fire drill.  (Shrugs shoulders nonchalantly.)

Errrrrrrrrr!  

Universe, let's stop time right there, shall we?

This is not just a fire drill.  Today is a CIRE drill (Critical Incident Response Exercise).  This drill is a 'police cars, fire trucks, ambulance, and all First Response units' kind of drill.  To put it bluntly:  it is a drill for all involved to practice their roles in the event that a gunmen enters the school building.  The students will practice a lock down.

Abric:  Yeah, Mom.  We all have a job to do.  Jane and John sit by the windows, so their job is to hurry and close the blinds.  Billy has to turn off the lights, and then we all have to hide.

Me:  (Speechless)

Now, I'm not starting a gun control debate. But a part of me is mourning the loss of my childhood, not that it was without violence.  I do remember that a young girl was murdered just a couple blocks from my house, and that was very upsetting.  We practiced fire drills. We practiced bomb threats, although I believe most of those bomb threats were actually students prancing the school.  We never had to practice the event of someone coming into our school with a gun.  

Basically, a part of my heart is hurting that my children have to grow up with this constant threat.  The other part of my heart is flabbergasted that, to them, this is normal.

Woes of potty training.

Isla peed her pants today.

On me.

While sitting on my lap.

Which basically means that Isla peed my pants today.  I have a slight feeling that she did it on purpose.  But she had just told me that she loved me.  "I love you, Mommy" she said.

Maybe she was just feeling very relaxed and comfortable.  Yes, let's say that.

She was comfortable.

Aloha

And we are off! Next stop: Hawaii.

After a six hour plane ride, we are here. In Hawaii and kid-free. This is the beginning of a long awaited and much needed vacation.

Zane's Birthday Offering

Zane gave this present to Andy for his birthday. Clever, clever boy!

Primary Program 2013

Today was the primary program in sacrament meeting. Harrison was chosen to be a narrator because it will be his final program, as he is moving up to Young Men's next year.

Andy and I noticed that he sang all the right words to the songs. It was a first in his entire primary career!  Usually we had to pay him a dollar to go up and sing, and even then he would sing his own made-up lyrics.